Bureau of Reclamation

WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management

Grant Proposal FY-2016

Upper Rio Grande Watershed District

Watershed Group Development

Submitted by

Jessica Johnston, Project Manager

Upper Rio Grande Watershed District

19283 US HWY 84/285 Hernandez, NM 87537

agausnortenas@gmail.com 575-770-8585

mailto:agausnortenas@gmail.com

.9rande Watershed

The Upper Rio Grande Watershed District is located in within Rio Arriba County, New Mexico.

The District begins in the town of Espanola, just south of the confluence with the Rio Chama. It

includes an approximately 15-mile segment of the Rio Grande, that ends at the Rio Grande

gorge. The District covers approximately 161 square miles.

The project area is multi-jurisdictional land base including US Forest Service, Bureau of Land

Management, State, Pueblo and private lands. Land uses within the district boundary include

Urban, Rural, Agricultural, Rangeland and Forest.

Surface water irrigation within the District is diverted from the Rio Grande, the Rio Chama and

the Rio Santa Cruz via the Santa Cruz Dam. There is approximately 10,000 acres of irrigated

land in the district, or 30,000 acre feet of surface water rights. Water right seniority dates vary

between 1698 and 1730. Irrigation is managed locally through irrigation districts and acequias.

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The Espanola Basin provides the ground water resources throughout the District. Domestic

wells supply the majority of the drinking water. It is approximated that there are 3,000

domestic wells in the District.

There is a well-documented interaction between the surface water and ground water resources

in this valley. The arroyos, acequias and rivers lose water to the aquifer and replenish the local

ground water resources.

The watershed ranges in elevation from 11,600 ft. to around 5,000 ft., mixed Conifer forests are

found only in the highest elevations of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the East. Ponderosa

Pine forests are found between elevations of 7,000 and 11,600 feet. Pinon and Juniper

woodlands are found between elevations of 5,000 and 7,000 feet. Agricultural lands including

pasture, row crops, orchards and riparian bosque are found at lowest elevations of the

watershed, along the river valley.

This valley was once part of the Sebastian Martin Land Grant, a Spanish land grant that was

eventually converted to public and private lands. The area has a rich cultural history, the Ohkay

Owingeh Pueblo has been continually settled since approximately 1,300 AD, and the first

Spanish settlement and capital of the New World "San Gabriel" was established in 1598. This

fertile river valley has been cultivated and sustained life for centuries and is still an important

agricultural land base.

The district is home to valuable riparian and wetland areas. This area is designated as critical

habitat for the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher and is identified as an important birding area.

The valley is also potential habitat for federally threatened meadow jumping mouse, and a

breeding range for federal species of concern the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo. The Bald Eagle also

inhabits the area.

Sediment and erosion have been an issue in this stretch of the Rio Grande for some time. There

are multiple large arroyos that originate to the East of the Rio Grande in the USFS lands, as

these arroyos reach the BLM lands, the highly erodible soils are literally being washed away and

the sediments are being deposited into the Rio Grande and the valley lands. There is evidence

5

of conservation work being done to curb some of the erosion by the conservation corps in the

1940's including small rock dams and contour terracing.

This area of the Rio Grande was channelized in 1952 by the Bureau of Reclamation. In many

areas, the river is completely separated from the floodplain, and in other areas, it has been

completely blocked from the floodplain by a large berm. The bosque has suffered a lack of

water from periodic flooding events and riparian ecosystem has been altered, and subsequently

inundated by a large number of invasive species, including salt cedar.

In 1962, the community formed the URGWD to respond to repeated flooding and sediment

damages to agricultural lands and irrigation infrastructure. A preliminary investigation report

was completed by the Soil Conservation Service to determine the nature and extent of the

watershed problems, the works of improvements that had been installed and the additional

works of improvement necessary to fulfill the objectives and desires of the local people.

In 1967, a work plan for Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Sebastian Martin- Black

Mesa Watershed was prepared by the East Rio Arriba Soil and Water Conservation District and

the URGWD with assistance from the USFS and the BLM. The work plan was the product of

extensive investigations of the watershed. The recommendations included many structural and

non-structural measures including an extensive list of land improvements to reduce sediment

detachment and transport into the Rio Grande.

Of the recommended projects, seven large floodwater retarding structures were built and are

currently maintained by the URGWD. These structure hold back sediment and flood waters

from the valley below. Six of the structures are on the West side of the Rio Grande, one is on

the East side. It is unclear why the other structural and non-structural measures were not

implemented.

6

The Upper Rio Grande Watershed District will create a watershed group that will be comprised

of representatives of the affected stakeholders within the watershed and will incorporate the

perspectives of a diverse array of stakeholders including livestock production, land

development, recreation, irrigated agriculture production, environmental interests, private

property owners, mutual domestics, waste water organizations, any Federal, State or local

agency that has authority with respect to the watershed, any Indian tribe who owns land in the

watershed

The watershed group will be a grassroots non regulatory entity that addresses water availability

and water quality issues within the relevant watershed and makes decisions on a consensus

basis.

The Upper Rio Grande Watershed District is an eligible applicant for establishment ofa

watershed group as a special district. The District was formed with the purpose of developing

and executing plans and programs relating to any phase of conservation of water, or of water

usage, including water-based recreation, flood prevention, flood control, erosion prevention

and control of erosion, and floodwater and sediment damages.

The District is significantly affected by the quantity and quality of water in the watershed, is

capable of promoting sustainable use of water and is located within the western United States

in the State of New Mexico.

The Upper Rio Grande Watershed district was created in 1962, by landowners in the areas to

address ongoing flooding and erosion issues that were damaging farmlands and the irrigation

systems. The flooding that has continually plagued this community is now flooding homes and

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causing serve damages to infrastructure. The District has responded to these issues by creating

a watershed improvement project to begin to address the issues that are causing multiple and

critical problems in the valley.

The District seeks to establish a watershed group to integrate Federal, State and local land and

water management agencies with the representatives of acequias {irrigated agriculture},

ranchers, landowners and other interests in the watershed.

The District seeks to create a watershed group that can create consensus and build on

commonalities to promote watershed health thru a shared interest.

The District seeks to create a watershed restoration plan to address ecological resiliency in the

face of drought and climate change.

The District seeks to create a defined and realistic roadmap to describe how these plans are put

into action.

The District will use the following approaches to address each objective;

• Conducting outreach to establish watershed group including efforts to ensure diversity

of the group

We will engage the public by reaching out to the acequia commissions, mutual domestics, land

owners, ranchers and other interested parties within the watershed.

We will create a brochure about the project and send out a biannual newsletter to update

residents within the District of our activities. We will create a simple webpage for sharing

information. We will create a presentation about the project and present when requested at

other events. We will attend agency stakeholder meetings to promote collaboration. We will

8

announce activities by posting flyers, maintaining an email list serve and publishing

notifications in the Rio Grande Sun.

Sharing information and knowledge promotes understanding and builds consensus.

Empowering stakeholders with the information and the resources they need to make their own

decisions on community watershed management issues will lead to successful long term and

well supported projects, this is the most critical element of the project. The stakeholders have

a vested interest in this watershed and the success of this project. The land and water

resources provide the social, cultural and economic fabric of this community.

• Developing a mission statement

The watershed group coordinator will assist the group in forming a mission statement to set the

intent and guide the actions of the group into the future.

• Identifying problem and needs in the watershed

We will review and summarize any currently available data or previous studies to assist in

identifying and locating critical issues within the watershed.

We will complete site visits with the stakeholders; those having an intimate relationship with

their landscape will likely already know where the areas of concerns are located.

We will conduct field visits to ground truth, document and locate problem areas. We will

document problem areas with photographs, a GPS location, and by taking a measurement if

possible ie. headcut, or estimating the size of the probiem area, acres of eroded rangeiand, or

miles of denuded riparian area.

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• Developing a watershed restoration plan, including establishing goals and identifying

and evaluating potential watershed management projects

Planning meetings will be held quarterly at a location within the District. We anticipate having

selected speakers who can share ideas, techniques and experiences with the group. The

presentations will be decided by the needs of the group. Project participants will actively

participate in the planning process

The process used to identify the most appropriate management measures will be a multi-step

process that will include a systematic review of each option by reviewing each of the following

factors; which measures have been implemented in the watershed previously, what is the

effectiveness of the previously used measures, is the measure socially acceptable based on

willingness of individual stakeholders to implement, the financial and technical difficulty of

selected measure, the estimated load reduction, the ease of installation and maintenance, the

applicability to the landscape and legal or regulatory issues on Federal or State owned lands.

The stakeholders and technical specialists will work together to estimate the costs and

technical needs of implementation of the selected watershed management measures. As part

of the project, the amounts of financial assistance, special equipment and/or specialized

assistance needed will be included in the plan.

The watershed group will develop a schedule for implementing the selected management

measures based on funding availability, project timeframe, technical support needed and

project prioritization.

• Approximate time for implementing the following 4 activities

1. Establishment of a watershed group-Completed by March 01, 2017

2. Development of a mission statement for the group- Completed by March 01, 2017

3. Development of watershed management project concepts- Completed by January 01,

2018

4. Development of a watershed restoration plan- Completed by August 01, 2018

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• Final report

The District will create a final report that will demonstrate successful completion of the

following; establishment of a watershed group, development of a mission statement for the

group, development of watershed management project concepts and development of a

watershed restoration plan.

The timeframe for this project is 2 years and estimated completion date of the project is

September 30, 2018.

Description ofaffected stakeholders that could be involved

The following affected stakeholders could be involved with the watershed group; local irrigation

cooperatives, acequias, farmers, private landowners, livestock producers, civic groups, mutual

domestics and waste water organizations. All Federal, State and local land management and

regulatory agencies that have a stake in the watershed.

Description ofaffected stakeholders that support the project

The District has established a Watershed Improvement and Flood Mitigation lnteragency Task

Force. This Task Force is made up of Federal, State and local agencies, the Task Force begin

meeting in June of 2015 and has continued to meet quarterly. Several members of this task

force have pledged their support and offered donation of outreach services, technical

assistance and meeting space.

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-

The Upper Rio Grande Watershed District is located within the HUC 8- Upper Rio Grande

Watershed -13020101. The District boundaries cover the following 12 digit HUC's;

Rio Truchas-Rio Grande 30,131 acres- 130201011104

Rio Truchas 21,503 acres - 130201011103

Arroyo Palacio-Rio Grande 35,053 acres-130201011105

Part of Rio Chama- Rio Grande 31,509 acres -130201011107

The limited size of this watershed will allow for maximum and effective participation.

-

-

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Flooding and Erosion- This valley has been experiencing ongoing flooding events that occur

during monsoon season. Intense Summer storms in the higher elevations of the watershed

drain storm waters through multiple large arroyos that bisect roadways and other

infrastructure. The storm water carries sediments that deposit into the Rio Grande. These

events are causing property and infrastructure damages, as well as causing environmental

damages.

Water Quality- The Rio Grande (Ohkay Owingeh bound to Embudo Creek) NM-2111_10 is

currently listed on the NMED 2014-2016 Clean Water Act Integrated 303(d)/305(b) list of

Assessed Surface Waters. The 303(d) list identified the Rio Grande as impaired by turbidity.

Supported designated uses include irrigation, livestock watering, primary contact and wildlife

habitat; unsupported uses are marginal high quality coldwater aquatic life and warmwater

aquatic life. According to the 2005 TMDL, for the Upper Rio Grande Watershed, probable

sources of impairment include Loss of Riparian Habitat, Natural Sources, Highway/Road/Bridge

Runoff (non-construction related), Irrigated Crop Production and Rangeland Grazing.

Endangered Species - As mentioned previously, the watershed is home to several threatened

and endangered species. Maintaining high quality habitat can benefit multiple environmental

objectives within the watershed and will promote ecological resilience.

Wetlands and Riparian Systems- Alteration of the original river channel has caused severe

degradation of the streambanks, uneven distribution of the water's energy flow, and loss of

riparian vegetation. Extensive study of the river channel needs to be done in order to

determine the possibility of restoration of river hydrology. The introduction of invasive species,

many as a means of erosion control, has severely degraded the function of wetland and riparian

areas. Invasive species alter the makeup of the soils, increase the risk of wildfire, choke native

species, provide poor habitat, and are difficult to remove or control effectively.

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Range Conditions- Unrestricted access to the rangeland including excessive Off Road Vehicle

(ORV) use has damaged the vegetative cover on the range lands. Many of the roads in the area

are badly deteriorated and contributing to erosion problems. There are also several illegal

dump sites. The rangeland is in need of management projects such as brush control, water

sources, erosion control, water sources and fencing.

Forest Conditions- The forests in the watershed are in similar condition to many forests in the

Southwest. After many years of fire suppression, the forests are overgrown and when coupled

with the ongoing drought they have become a major fire hazard. Thinning and prescribe burns

will be necessary to restore the forests to their normal condition.

The watershed has a broad and complicated set of issues that cross jurisdiction and regulatory

boundaries. There is not any one agency that can solve these problems independently. Many

land managers and landowners are making efforts independent of the holistic interaction of

elements within the watershed, many of the efforts brought forth only are reactive to

emergency situations that are symptomatic issues of larger watershed conditions. It is

imperative that all of the stakeholders participate in a coordinated fashion in order to meet the

multiple objective nature of the watershed improvement program.

Developing a watershed group and a restoration plan will create communication between all of

the affected parties. It will allow us to build consensus on the priority of the needed

restoration projects and leverage our resources and collective capacity to solve the critical

issues.

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Project Tasks

Conducting outreach

to establish

watershed group

Identifying problem

and needs in the

watershed

Developing a

watershed

restoration plan

Developing a

watershed

restoration plan

Developing a

watershed

restoration plan

Project and fiscal

reporting

Milestones Costs

Establishment of $9,000

watershed group -

completed mission

statement

Needs and problems $9,000

with maps -section of

watershed plan

Watershed $9,000

restoration concepts-

section of watershed

plan

Cost and technical $9,000

assistance associated

with each concept-

section of watershed

plan

An implementation $9,000

schedule- section of

watershed plan

Quarterly and final $5,000

report

Dates

March 01, 2017

July 01, 2017

January 01, 2018

April 01, 2018

July 01, 2018

Each quarter, and

final- September

2018

An estimated schedule of tasks, milestones, costs and dates.

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The District will not contribute cost share to this proposal because it is not required. There will

be various voluntary non-documented contributions from partnerships with Federal, State and

local agencies. Their time and specialized expertise will be contributed towards the formation

of the watershed restoration plan.

We do not anticipate any problems or major difficulties in accomplishing the work in this

proposal.

Previous activities that relate to implementing the proposed scope of work- The URGWD has

organized an lnteragency Task Force to address watershed improvements and flood control

issues. The URGWD Task force has met throughout 2015 to identify the main issues within the

watershed and discuss collaborative measures that can be taken to improve watershed

conditions. Current members on the Task Force include; East Rio Arriba Soil and Water

Conservation District, USDA NRCS Espanola, Bureau of Land Management, USFS Camino Real

and Espanola Districts, NM Department of Transportation, NM Department of Emergency

Management and Homeland Security, US Army Corp of Engineers, NM Environment

Department, NM State Lands Office, Pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh, NMSU Agricultural Science

Center, New Mexico Department of Agriculture, US Partners for Fish and Wildlife, US Bureau of

Reclamation, Rio Arriba County- Planning and Zoning, Emergency Management, Public Works

and Assessors Office.

The watershed restoration plan will build on previous studies in watershed planning and will

complement existing plans. The following planning documents address watershed health and

flood conditions within the project area;

Rio Arriba County Comprehensive Plan, 2014

Upper Rio Grande Watershed Management Plan, 2007

Alcalde/Velarde Wetlands and Riparian Management Plan, 2011

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Rio Arriba County Hazard Mitigation Plan, 2015

New Mexico Environment Department -TMDL Upper Rio Grande, 2005

Northern New Mexico and specifically Rio Arriba County has consistently been in varying state

of drought for the last 15 years. The drought was exceptionally bad in 2013 and 2014. This

area is extremely susceptible to the effects of drought. When the grasses and land cover do not

grow, the storm water runoff from high mountain monsoon storms are exaggerated. The

arroyos become swollen and overflow their banks damaging irrigation infrastructure,

transportation infrastructure and housing. These flood waters are carrying large amounts of

sediments that are depositing into the Rio Grande or sometimes creating sediment plugs at

their outlet creating additional flooding. Some of the worst floods experienced recently

concurred with the extreme drought years.

The conditions of the forested lands in the highest elevations of the watershed are currently

overgrown and when coupled with drought, these forests become an extreme fire hazard. If a

fire were to ignite on these lands the subsequent flooding and erosion could be catastrophic to

the downstream communities and the river valley.

Information on drought conditions in Rio Arriba County was obtained from Drought Monitor

found at http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

The watershed group will use ecological resiliency as a factor when developing watershed

restoration projects and will build drought resistance into projects concepts.

Please see Appendix A. for letters of support.

17

http:http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Permits or approvals will not be required for this project.

Please see Appendix B. for Official Resolution.

Budget Proposal

Table 1. Summary of Non-Federal and Federal Funding Sources

Funding Sources Funding Amounts

BOR WaterSMART $50,000

Other Federal Subtotal

Requested Reclamation Amount

$50,000

Total Study Funding

$50,000

Table 2. Project Budget

Budget Item Description

Contract Services $50,000

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Budget Narrative

A contractor will provide services to complete all tasks under this proposal. All other services in

support of this project will be voluntary undocumented support.

Project Tasks Milestones Costs Breakdown of Costs

Conducting outreach

to establish

watershed group

Establishment of

watershed group -

completed mission

statement

$9,000 175 hrs@45/hr.

$7,875

881 miles @.55/mi.

$485

$640.00 NM gross

receipts tax

Identifying problem

and needs in the

watershed

Needs and problems

with maps -section of

watershed plan

$9,000 175 hrs@45/hr.

$7,875

881 miles @.55/mi.

$485

$640.00 NM gross

receipts tax

Developing a

watershed

restoration plan

Watershed

restoration concepts-

section of watershed

plan

$9,000 175 hrs@45/hr.

$7,875

881 miles @.55/mi.

$485

$640.00 NM gross

receipts tax

Developing a Cost and technical $9,000 175 hrs@45/hr.

watershed assistance associated $7,875

restoration plan with each concept- 881 miles @.55/mi.

section of watershed $485

plan

19

$640.00 NM gross

receipts tax

Developing a

watershed

restoration plan

An implementation

schedule- section of

watershed plan

$9,000 175 hrs@45/hr.

$7,875

881 miles @.SS/mi.

$485

$640.00 NM gross

receipts tax

Project and fiscal

reporting

Quarterly and final

report

$5,000 104 hrs@45/hr.

$4,644

$365 NM gross

receipts tax

20

21

USDA United States Department of Agriculture -

April 27, 2016

To: Bureau ofReclamation Water Resources and Planning PO Box25007 Denver, CO 80225

Subject: Letter of Support for the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District

To whom it may concern,

This letter is in support of the efforts of the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District (URGWD)in their efforts in applying for the the Bureau ofReclamation Water SMART: Cooperative Watershed Management Program Grants for FY 2016.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service has worked with the URGWD to build 7 flood control dams that were built in the 1970's and 80's and have supported their efforts to present day on the operation and maintenance of these flood control dams. The intent of these structures was to reduce impact of flooding and sedimentation into Acequias and farmland. With recent flooding events the URGWB has still seen flooding issues and would like to develop a plan that looks at a comprehensive approach to address the entire watershed and what measures can be implimented to reduce flooding and sedimentation issues.

This letter is to affirm that the Natural Resource Conservation Service supports and is committed to participating in the planning process and any technical assistance that may be needed in the efforts to develop a useful plan that can improve the water quality ofthis area. Once plan has been completed there may be other funding opportunities through USDA-NRCS that can be applied for to assist in addressing the resource concerns identified.

Ifyou have any questions please feel free to contact us at 505-753-3508 Ext. 3.

~~ Thomas Gonzales Soil Conservationist Hernandez Field Office

Natural Resources Conservation Service 424 G South Riverside Drive, Espanola, New Mexico 87532

Voice: (505) 753-3508 x3 Fax: {505} 747-3140 An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

NEW MEXICO ENVIRONMENT DEPARTMENT

Harold Runnels Building 1190 South St Francis Drive (87505)

SUSANA MARTINEZ RYAN FLYNNP.O. Box 5469, Santa Fe, NM 87502-5469 Governor Cabinet Secretary Phone (505) 827-0187 Fax (505) 827-0160

JOHN A. SANCHEZ BUTCH TONGATEwww.env.nm.govLt Governor Deputy Secretary

U.S. Bureau ofReclamation Water Resources and Planning PO Box25007 Denver, CO 80225

RE: Letter of Support for Aguas Nortei'ias

To Whom it May Concern:

The Surface Water Quality Bureau (SWQB) of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is pleased to support the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District in forming a watershed group to create a comprehensive Watershed-Based Plan for the upper Rio Grande. SWQB's support will be in the form of technical expertise and professional consultation, as we do with other watershed groups in New Mexico. SWQB staffwill provide planning advice, available GIS data, site visits/assessments, engagement with local stakeholders, as well as assistance in identifying and applying for grant funded programs. We anticipate that the group will develop solutions for critical issues that have been identified in the upper Rio Grande watershed, including but not limited to flooding, erosion, surface water quality, wetland/riparian restoration, range condition/management, illegal dumping and/or ecological resiliency.

Support of this effort will have no fiscal impact on the NMED budget apart from staffhours which are used to support local watershed groups. Estimated use of staff hours on this project include up to 10 hrs/month.

SWQB believes that partnerships between many state and local organizations, including the Natural Resource Conservation Service, Pueblo Governments, the Bureau ofReclamation, and SWQB, will allow each organization to leverage their collective resources to provide meaningful initiatives for soil and water conservation in our state.

e Bureau Chief, Surface Water Quality Bureau New Mexico Environment Department

http:www.env.nm.gov

c. conserving

natural resources

SUPERVISORS Kenneth V. Salazar Ross Garcia, Jr. Ted Salazar Leroy J. Salazar J. Lucas Cordova

EAST RIO ARRIBA SOILAND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT

19283 US Hwy 84/285 Suite 112 Hernandez, New Mexico 87537

(505) 753-0477

April 26, 2016

Bureau ofReclamation Water Resources and Planning POBox25007 Denver, CO 80225

The East Rio Arriba Soil and Water Conservation District strongly supports the goals of the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District and the Interagency Taskforce toward improving water quality and watershed health. The East Rio Arriba SWCD will continue to offer technical assistance, participate in meetings and offer support as needed toward forming and participating in a diverse group which can address the critical issues affecting the watershed.

Please accept this letter as a formal recognition of the value ofthe Upper Rio Grande Watershed District's efforts. Ifyou have any questions, please contact our office at 505-753-0477.

Thank you,

~-:;c;-1 ERASWCD Chairman

April 25, 2016

Bureau of Reclamation

PO BOX 25007

Denver, Colorado 80225

My name is Joe A. Romero. Born and raised in Lyden, New Mexico. My private property is located adjacent to the Black Mesa mountain. This mountain has a lot of drainages that flood some of the properties in the communities known as Lyden, La Canova, Uncon and El Guique which are located in the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District. I'm also a grazing permittee in the San Bastin Martin BLM Allotment also located in the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District. The San Bastin Martin BLM Allotment drainages flow into the Rio Grande River. These drainages when they flood, affect private properties in the communities located between Velarde and Alcalde, New Mexico.

As a life time Resident of Lyden and a ditch commissioner for thirty eight years, I have seen the damage these drainages have done in the past sixty years. Some flood control dams have been built in the past and have helped considerably but there are other drainages that need flood control dams or other means of slowing the water flow so that the erosion can be minimized. On the San Bastin Martin BLM Allotment erosion is the main concern. On the main drainages you can see how much erosion has taken place since US 68 was built around the year 1976. All the sediment ends up in the Rio Grande River and sometimes in private properties and affects the water quality locally and downstream. One of the drainage known as the Truchas drainage has a riparian and every time this drainage floods, the riparian gets damaged and it takes time for it to recuperate. I know that flood control dams work, but I also know that they are very expensive.

This is why I feel that is very important for the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District to form a watershed group not only of Federal, State and Local government entities but also include other stakeholders within the district such as Acequia groups, farmers, private landowners range permittees, civic groups, mutual domestics and water organizations. Once this watershed group is formed the group can develop a comprehensive plan and develop solutions on how to mitigate the problems these drainages cause.

Your consideration for this application is greatiy appreciated.

Sincerely, •./),,

rv~ Joe A. Romero Member of Upper Rio Grande Watershed District

Lucia F. Sanchez Director

Rio Arriba County Planning and Zoning Department

April 27, 2016

Bureau of Reclamation c/o Water Resources and Planning PO Box 25007 Denver, CO 80225

RE: Upper Rio Grande Watershed District Letter of Support for WaterSMART 2016 Grant Application

To Whom it May Concern:

Please accept this letter of support and commitment from Rio Arriba County for the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District's (URGWD) 2016 application for program funds of the WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management Program 2016 grant cycle.

The County is appreciative of the time commitment and support that the URGWD is providing to ensure that we have the capacity and expertise to build the URGWD Task Force which is currently made of entirely of Federal, State and Local government entities and begin to actively engage other stakeholders in the region including the local acequia groups, farmers, private landowners, range permittees, civic groups, mutual domestics and waste water organizations.

The URGWD's work to expand the outreach efforts by building a website, creating a newsletter, expanding the database of stakeholders, conducting site visits with landowners and attending other organizational meetings is timely and much needed. The tools they aim to build for outreach will serve as essential tools to drive on-theground flood and erosion mitigation, improvements to surface water quality, wetland and riparian restoration and range condition improvements. Furthermore, the expansion of the stakeholder database will allow for better tailored site visits between landowners and government entities.

Rio Arriba County has identified the following roles, responsibilities, and cost sharing arrangement for the project:

o Partner with the URGWD on outreach to the local community ./ (in-kind staff time estimated value: $3,000)

o GIS and technical staff support to assist with mapping tools ./ (in-kind staff time estimated value: $1,500)

o 3 NM Certified Floodplain Manager's will provide technical support ./ (in-kind specific staff time $1,000)

o Use of the county facilities to host stakeholder meetings ./ (estimated value: $500)

As such, our total in-kind match is a $6,000 commitment. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions about our commitment, leadership, and support by email at LFSanchez@rio-arriba.org or by phone at 505-753-777 4.

7j]faLucia F. Sanchez

mailto:LFSanchez@rio-arriba.org

22

DIRECTORS:

Alfredo L. Montoya Jose Benito Chavez Michael Sanchez Joseph Martinez Joe Romero

UPPER RIO GRANDE WATERSHED DISTRICT

19283 US Hwy 84/285 Suite 112

Hernandez, New Mexico 87537

505-367-0070

upperriograndewatershed@gmail.com

UPPER RIO GRANDE WATERSHED DISTRICT

RESOLUTION 2016-1

WATERSMART GRANT FY 2016

WHEREAS, THE UPPER RIO GRANDE WATERSHED DISTRICT IS SEEKING FUNDING UNDER THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION WATERSMART

COOPERATIVE WATERSHED PROGRAM GRANT FOR FY 2016.

WHEREAS, ALFREDO MONTOYA, CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, HAS THE LEGAL AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO A FUNDING

AGREEMENT.

WHEREAS, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAVE REVIEWED AND SUPPORT THE APPLICATION BEING SUBMITTED.

WHEREAS, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Will WORK WITH THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION TO MEET ESTABLISHED DEADLINES FOR

ENTERING INTO A FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.

THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: IN SESSION THIS 8TH DAY OF APRIL, 2016.

A~.t.~< DATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BENITO CHAVEZ -~~;~~-

MICHAEL SANCHEZ ----------=-..-

JOSEPH MARTINEZ s:b-."f:~~ JOE ROMERO u£ ~'7LJ

mailto:upperriograndewatershed@gmail.com

WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management